Button-making machinery.



Patented June. 2163,, I900.

No. s52,4|a.

R. H. BECK.

BUTTON MAKING MACHINERY.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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m. 652,4I8. Patented June 26, mm B. H. BEBK.

BUTTON MAKING MACHINERY.

(Alaplicatiog filed Mar. 10, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Shaet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 652,418. Patented June 26, I900. R. H. BECK.

BUTTON MAKING MACHINERY.

(Application, filed Mar. 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 3.

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R. H. BECK.

BUTTON MAKING MACHINERY.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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EUDoLP I I, BECK, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoE T0 GIRARDBUTTON MANUFACTUR NGr Co., LIMITED, OF sAME PLACE.

BUTTON MAKING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,418, dated June 26,1900.

Application filed March 10, 1899, Serial No. 708,507. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH H. BECK, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Philadelphia, .in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and usefulImprovements in Button-MakingIMachinery, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has relation to a button-making machine, and in suchconnection it relates more particularly to the construction andarrangement of that part of the machine known as the chuck or thatportion wherein the blank is held during the operations of turning orcountersinking and drilling.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide, in abutton-making machine, a table to which intermittent rotating movementis given, the face of said table support ing a series of chucks forreceiving and holding the blanks, the jaws of said chucks being operatedat desiredintervals of time, so as to permit of the insertion of theblanks, the gripping of the blanks during the turning and drillingoperations, and the release of the formed blank to permit of itsremoval, and, second,to provide, in a button-making machine,inconnection with the table and chucks, a pneumatic device for removingthe finished blanks and the refuse from the table and chuck and forseparating and collecting said finished blanks in an appropriatereceptacle.

To these ends my invention consists, first, in providing a tablearranged, preferably, in a horizontal plane and below the turning anddrilling tools, said table being turned by a step-by-step movement andhaving in its upper face a series of radially-arranged chucks, thechucks being readily removable from and quickly adjustable in the table;second, in providing, in connection with the table and the chucks, meanscarried by the table whereby during the rotation of the table the jawsof the chucks may be operated to open or close the chucks; third, toprovide, in connection with the table, a chuck of peculiar constructionand arrangement, and, fourth, to provide, in connection with the tableand its chucks, apneumatic tube located above the table and beneathwhich each chuck is successively adapted 'to register, said tubeelevational View of the mechanism for operadapted to remove from thechuck the finhereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational viewof a button-making machine embodying main features of mypresentinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detailView illustrating, partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection, the table and its operating mechanism. Fig. t is a rear atingthe table. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the table and the mechanismfor looking it in its successive positions, the face'of the table beingpartially broken away to more clearly illustrate its construction. 6 isan enlarged detail View of one of the chucks and the mechanism forholding the jaws of said chuck in open position. Fig. 7 is a view atright angles to Fig. 6 and illustrating the means for opening the jawsof the chuck. Fig. 8 is a top or plan view of one of the chucks. Fig. 9is a perspective view of the chuck-plate and one of the jaws movabletherein. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view illustrating in verticalsection the lower end of the pneumatic tube located over a chuck toremove the blank therefrom, and Fig. 11 is a face view of thesieve-plate in the pneu matic tube.

Referring to the drawings, a. represents the bed-plate, which properlysupports a pillar o" periphery of the table I) are formed suitablenotches b corresponding in number to the number of successive movementsglven to the table, and in a notch 5 as the table ar rives atpredetermined positions, a pin or projectionb of a spring-controlleddetent or pawl 12 is adapted to enter. This pawl or detent is operated,preferably, in a manner hereinafter described. Each of the chucksconsists, essentially, of a block (1, having two opposite facesindented, as at d, to receive the ends of set-screws d or similardevices for centering the block at in the recess 1) of the table. Theseset-screws pass, respectively, through the inner and outer rims orflanges of the recess b in the table I), as clearly illustrated in Figs.3 and 7. The block d has central opening or recess d above which abutton-blank A is centered, so as to form below said blank a space whichthe drills may traverse when the blank is drilled. Upon the upper faceof the block (1 is screwed or otherwise removably fastened a plate (1having a central opening d of a diameter large enough, by preference, toadmit a buttonblank of the largest size to be used. The under face ofplate (1 is channeled, as at (1 (see Fig. 9,) to receive and guide thetwo jaws (Z of the chuck. These jaws have circular inner ends to clampdown upon the periphery of the blank A, and the outer ends of the jawsare provided with downwardly-projecting flanges (1 extending at rightangles to the plate (1 and parallel to the sides of the block d. Betweenthe sides of the block d and each flange d is inserted a spring d,normally tending to throw the jaws outward, so that their inner curvedends are sufficiently far apart to admit the blank. The tendency ofthese springs d is normally overcome and the jaws normally closed uponthe blank by means of the following preferred mechanism: Referring toFigs. 3 and 7, below the block (1 extends a post or shaft 6, on which isadapted to slide a collar 6'. Between the base of this collar e and ahead 2 of the post e and around the post 6 is coiled a spring a normallytending to elevate the collar e on said post. The collar 6 is pivotallyconnected'by the two links 6 with one end, respectively, of two levers epivoted, as at e", in ears or extensions e of the block d and soarranged that their free ends or a set-screw e passing through the freeends, will press upon the flanges d of the jaws 01 directly opposite tothe pressure of springs d". This pressure of leversc is greater than thepressure of springs d, and hence the jaws will normally be pressedinward to clamp the blank A in the chuck. To permit the jaws to open, itis necessary to depress the collar 6 on the post 6. To accomplish this,the collar 6 is provided with a bracket a", carrying a roller e and thisroller at certain periods in the rotation of the table I) is adapted toride under a semicircular bridge f, secured in any suitable manner tothe'pillar a and located below the lower face of the table I), all asclearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 5, and 7.

In the drawings the table 5, as illustrated, is provided with sixchucks; but it is to be understood that a greater or lesser number ofchucks may be carried by the table without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. However, it will be found in practical use that thearrangement illustrated is the most desirable, because it permits of theinsertion of the blanks, the turning and drilling of the blank, and itsremoval without stopping the machine and without danger to theoperative-that is to say, by arranging the chucks in sets of six and byhaving the bridge-piece f under three of these chucks the jaws of threechucks will be opened to permit either the removal of the blanks ortheir insertion in the chuck, and the jaws of three chucks will beclosed to hold the blank for the operation of a counter'sinking orturning tool 13 as well as the two sets of drills B and B Theconstruction and arrangement of the tool B and of its operatingmechanism and the construction and arrangement of the two sets of drillsB and B and of their operating mechanism do not form part of thisinvention, but are shown, described, and claimed in acom panionapplication filed on the 13th day of March, 1899, under the Serial No.708,826.

The preferred mechanism for turning the table I) with a rotarystep-by-step movement, as illustrated in the drawings, consists,essentially, of the following elements: The main or power shaft g of themachine, through a worm g, drives a shaft g at one end of which is amiter-gear g meshing With a second miter-gear 9 secured to a secondshaft 9 The shaft g is provided with a cam 9 (shown in detail in Fig.4,) in the groove g of which is adapted to travel a roller or pin inslotted engagement, as at g with an arm or lever h. This lever hoscillates upon a fulcrum h, and at its lower end is pivotally connectedto one end of a link 71 the other end of which link being pivotallyconnected to a rock-arm h which oscillates upon a shaft 72 On the shafth is keyed or otherwise secured a disk 72. the periphery of which isprovided with a series of notches h, corresponding in number to thenumber of chucks. In the notches h is adapted to slip the tooth of aratchet 72. which is carried by the rock-arm 7L3 and is held against theperiphery of disk h by a spring-h From the description of theconstruction and arrangement of the foregoing parts it will be readilyunderstood that the cam g as it rotates will oscillate the lever h,which in turn, through the link 71?, rock-arm h and ratchet 72 willoperate the disk k step by step and convey to the shaft 71/1 acorresponding movement. The shaft h is provided with a mitergear hmeshing with-a miter-gear h ,secured to the shaft a carrying the tableI).

The locking of the table I; in its successive positions and its releaseby means of the pawl b4 and the notches b are accomplished by thefollowing preferred mechanism: Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 5, thepawl-arm b is pivoted, as at m, to a fixed part of the machine, and itspin or projection 12 is normally held in the notches b of table I) bymeans of the spring m. On the free end of the pawl-arm Z2 is secured adownwardly projecting arm or bracket m having at its lower end a block m,resting under the tension of spring m upon the face of a disk on,rotating with the shaft g. This disk m has a cam or thrust portion mwhich as the disk m rotates will periodically engage the block m andretract the pawl-arm Z) against the tension of its spring 'm', and thusrelease the pin from a notch 6 It will of course be understood that therotation of the cam-disk m is so timed with respect to the step-by-stepmovement imparted to the table I) that its cam-surface will only actupon detent b to release the detent from the table at such periods oftime when it is desired to move the table.

In connection with the table and chucks, a pneumatic device for removingthe finished blank has been provided. This consists of a tube n, to theupper end of which is connected a blower or air-exhaust apparatus n. Thelower end of the tube at is normally closed by a cap n forming areceptacle for the blanks, and, above the capped end, the tube nbranches out into a funnel-shaped spout or extension 12 the lower end ofwhich terminates above the table in close proximity to each chuck whichis successively brought under the spout as the table revolves. Above thespout n and in the tube a is placed a screen or separator-plate M, whichhas perforations of a size snfficiently large to permit dust, refuse,and the like to be drawn upward in the tube 9?. through the plate 02 buttoo small to permit the blanks to pass, which blanks drop from the plate11, into the receptacle 41 It should be understood that by reason of thearrangement and location of the bridge-piece f the chuck as it arrivesbeneath the spout n has its jaws separated to permit of the extractionof the blank from the chuck. The use of the tube n, its spout of, cap aand plate a permit-s of the removal of the blank and of all dirt orrefuse without the intervention of the operator, and hence greatlyincreases the speed at which the machine may be operated, as well asremoves the danger of accident to the operator necessarily present whenthe blank is to be removed by hand. 4

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a button-making machine, a chuck comprising a base and an upperperforated plate, two jaws adapted to slide in said plate between theplate and base, springs adapted to separate the jaws to permit theinsertion of a blank, two lever-arms adapted to bear against the jaws, aspring adapted to normally press said lever-arms against the jaws toclose the same against the tension of the separating-springs and meansfor retracting said closing-spring to release the lever-arms from thejaws, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a button-making machine, a table having in its upper face anannular recess, a shaft supporting said table, means for intermittentlyrotating said shaft, and a series of chucks ad justabl y secured in theannular recess of the table, substantially as andfor the purposesdescribed.

3. In a button-making machine, a table having in its upper face anannular recess, a series of chuck-blocks inserted in said recess, thesides of each block adjacent to the walls of the recess being indented,and set-screws adapted to pass through the walls of the recess and toenter the indented sides of the blocks to center said blocks in saidrecess, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a button-making machine, a table arranged in a horizontal plane, ashaft depending vertically from said table, a hollow pillar supportingsaid shaft, means for inter mittently rotating said table and shaft, aseries of chucks carried by said table, means for normally closing thejaws of said chucks, a bridge-piece supported by the pillar below thetable and means controlled bysaid bridgepiece, whereby during a portionof the movement of the table the jaws of a portion of the chucks will beopened, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a button-making machine, an intermittently-rotating table, aseries of chucks carried by said table, each chuck consisting of ablock, an upper plate secured to said block, and two jaws adapted toslide between the plate and block, springs adapted to sepa rate saidjaws, levers adapted to normally close said jaws against the tension ofsaid springs, a post suspended from said block, a

spring-controlled collar adapted to normally slide upward upon said postto operate said levers, a bracket and roller carried by said collar, abridge-piece of substantially-semicircular shape located below the tableand under which the roller of the collar is adapted to travel duringone-half the movement of the table, said bridge-piece being adapted todepress the roller, bracket and collar to re lease the levers from thejaws of the chuck, substantially as and for the purposes de" scribed.

6. In a chuck for button-making machines, a block having a centralrecess in its upper face, a cover-plate adapted to be secured to saidblock and having a perforation registering with the recess in the block,two chuckjaws adapted to slide in the under side of the cover-plate, theinner contiguous ends of said jaws being curved to fit down upon theperiphery of the blank, a flange projecting downwardly and at rightangles at the other end of each jaw and a spring interposed between theblock and each flange, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a button-making machine, an inter" IIO mittently-rotating table, aseries of chucks carried by said table, means for automatically closingsaid chucks under spring" tension, and means located outside the tablefor maintaining each chuck in an open position during a portion of themovement of said table, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a button-making machine, an intermittently-rotating table, aseries of chucks carried by said table, means for automatically closingsaid chucks under spring tension, means located outside the table formaintaining each chuck in an open position during a portion of themovement of said table, and pneumatic means for removing, cleaning andseparating; the blanks from the table when said chucks are maintained inopen position, substantially as and for the purposes described. v y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH H. BECK.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH.

